Are There Boardwalks in Sarasota?

When someone asked me recently if Sarasota has a boardwalk, my mind immediately conjured-up images of the two famous boardwalks upon which I have often strolled—the ones in Coney Island (Brooklyn), NY and Atlantic City, NJ. So, my initial response was “no.”

Indeed, nowhere in Sarasota is there an elevated boardwalk like these two iconic structures, similarly lined with shops, food vendors, arcade games, ice cream parlors, amusement park rides and other attractions designed to lure tourists away from the beaches they are built along.

But the question stuck in my head, and after giving it a little more thought, I changed my mind.

St. Armands Circle does an excellent job of enticing beachgoers to stop and shop on their way to or from the beach. It’s not a boardwalk per se, but its circular main drag is close enough to the beach to qualify as a close cousin. The same is true of Siesta Key Village, where you can wander in from the nearby beach and immediately enjoy all sorts of seaside diversions worthy of a boardwalk.

To the north Bradenton Beach, a Gulf-front hamlet lined with shops, restaurants, fishing piers and other businesses, also enjoys a busy, boardwalk-like ambiance. Its Bridge Street Market certainly captures the spirit with its colorful assortment of local artisans, vendors, and numerous places to shop, eat, drink, and (of course) fish.

Venture still north to Anna Maria Island and Pine Avenue—which bisects the island from the Gulf of Mexico to Tampa Bay—is lined with shops, galleries and a variety of first-rate eateries. Nearby, the newly restored wooden City Pier (a boardwalk!) dates from 1911.

Boardwalks, as defined in the dictionary, are “elevated walkways—usually constructed of wooden planks—that enable pedestrians to cross wet, fragile or marshy lands.”

Of these, the Sarasota/Manatee region has plenty!

As someone in complete thrall of Florida’s amazing natural beauty, I often find myself traversing boardwalks throughout the area that wind through swamps, mangroves, wetlands, nesting areas and other environmentally sensitive lands. Practically every city, county and state park in the Sarasota/Manatee region has a boardwalk designed for spotting Florida’s native wildlife without doing any damage under foot.

Myakka River State Park, one of the largest in Florida, actually has a canopy boardwalk that runs through the treetops and connects with a wooden observation tower with a 360ᵒ view of the park. A bit further north in the park, a “bird-walk” extends halfway out into Upper Myakka Lake, offering gorgeous views across the lake and frequent glimpses of many of the park’s many species of birds.

Just a stone’s throw away, the Crowley Museum & Nature Center is in the process of re-building its popular boardwalk which meanders through delicate swamp land on its way out to a wildlife viewing stand alongside the Myakka River. The old boardwalk has been demolished and the new one will be built in the fall, after the rainy season wraps-up.

In South Sarasota, Oscar Scherer State Park has a new, fully ADA compliant boardwalk and fishing pier that officially opened on Earth Day 2022. Further south, on Venice Island, the Venice Pier is always a beehive of activity, with good places to eat and drink, great fishing and excellent people watching, especially at sunset.

Lastly, even as I write, there are plans afoot for yet another boardwalk that will link Ted Sperling Park, on Lido Key, with South Lido Park, on the Key’s extreme southern tip. At 10 feet in width, the 4,500-foot-long MURT (Multiple Use Recreational Trail) will consist of boardwalks and asphalt pavement to accommodate cyclists, skaters, walkers, and runners.

So yes, I stand corrected. There are plenty of boardwalks in the Sarasota area.